Saturday 31 August 2013

Stoker (2013) - ★★★★

Director: Park Chan-Wook
Writer: Wentworth Miller
Stars: Mia Wasikowska, Matthew Goode, Nicole Kidman, Jackie Weaver, Dermot Mulroney, Phyllis Somerville

Have you ever seen Alfred Hitchcock's classic, 'Shadow of a Doubt?' Well, Stoker is like that, except our female protagonist is just as crazy as Uncle Charlie. It's a beautifully made, disturbing, and extremely intriguing film. There are plenty of masterful elements to Stoker, especially in the cinematography. I found all of the performances to be really effective, particularly Mia Wasikowska as India. While it may not be perfect, it's one of the most fiendishly entertaining films of 2013.

Oldboy (2003) - ★★★★★

Director: Park Chan-Wook
Writers: Lim Chun-hyeong, Park Chan-Wook, Hwang Jo-yun
Stars: Choi Min-sik, Yu Ji-tae, Kang Hye-jeong, Ji Da-han

"Woah. Wow. What the f#ck?" 

That was my initial reaction to Oldboy. I loved this movie. LOVED IT! It's one of the craziest, mind bending movies I've ever seen. It also happens to be funny, charming, exciting, thrilling, and filled with cringe-inducing moments. I adored everything about this film. From the chillingly beautiful score to the stunning cinematography, I just found Oldboy to be a masterpiece from head to toe. The performances are just remarkable, as is the story. The twists and turns made my jaw hit the floor in shock, and they just kept coming! If there's one word to describe this film, it's "engrossing." I couldn't take my eyes away from the screen. To me, Oldboy will always stand up there with the very best movies cinema has to offer.

Monday 26 August 2013

The Sapphires (2013) - ★★★½

Director: Wayne Blair
Writers: Tony Briggs, Keith Thompson
Stars: Deborah Mailman, Chris O'Dowd, Jessica Mauboy, Miranda Tapsell, Shari Sebbens

The Sapphires is a fun, entertaining, politically correct film that is sure to go down as an Aussie classic. I liked it, but I feel it could have been so much better. With the enormous talent of the cast, particularly Deborah Mailman, I could see this story as a masterpiece of cinema. Wayne Blair managed to turn it into a good film, but it's a film that only dabbles into certain issues. We get a glimpse of Australian history and racism, a glimpse of romance, a glimpse of drama, a fair amount of comedy, and a helluva lot of soul music. The problem with this film, and indeed a lot of modern Australian films, is that they've become too Hollywood. The Aussie accents are a little overdone, the Aussie sayings are a little out of place, and all of this is done for the benefit of foreign audiences. It stuck out like a sore thumb to me.

Million Dollar Baby (2004) - ★★★½

Director: Clint Eastwood
Writers: Paul Haggis (Screenplay), F.X. Toole (Stories)
Stars: Clint Eastwood, Hilary Swank, Morgan Freeman, Margo Martindale, Jay Baruchel, Lucia Rikjer, Mike Colter

Million Dollar Baby is great in someways, and average in others. It's very thrilling, meticulously acted by most, and very well put together. BUT I just don't see why people think it's one of the best movies of the decade. I just finished reading Roger Ebert's thoughts on the film, and he hailed it as a masterpiece! Well I guess this is yet another one of those films that I "Just don't get." I can definitely see how someone can have their heartstrings pulled by this movie. I'm not saying that people are wrong for lauding Million Dollar Baby as a great film, but I am saying that it's far from a faultless masterpiece.

Top 10 | Pure Drama

Top 10 Pure Drama

For a film to be a 'pure drama,' the overwhelming theme and element to the film must be drama. There were a number of films that could have made it onto this list, such as The Last Picture Show (1971), Citizen Kane (1941), and The Lives of Others (2006). Films such as these are dominated by drama... not romance, not comedy, not crime nor action... just drama. Here is my Top 10 Pure Drama's. 

10 | All About Eve (1950) Directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz

What's cooler than Bette Davis, Marilyn Monroe, George Sanders and Anne Baxter bantering in the same scene? Nothing. Absolutely nothing. All About Eve is one of the wittiest, funniest, and most dramatic movies ever made. It contains my second favourite Davis performance of all time, along with my favourite performances by George Sanders and Anne Baxter. I just found the clash of divas, the chaos, and the backstabbing so darn entertaining. It's one of the greatest Best Picture winners of all time, and one of my all time favourite movies. Also, it contains one of the greatest lines in movie history. "Fasten your seat belts, it's going to be a bumpy night." 


9 | Mulholland Drive (2001) Directed by David Lynch

(I'm aware that crime is a major theme in the film, but the dramatic aspects are phenomenal). I'll admit, I wasn't a fan of Mulholland Drive when I first saw it. After re-watching it, I found it to be one of the most thrilling, wild, confusing, entertaining masterpieces I'd ever seen! It contains Naomi Watts' greatest performance, along with a haunting score, a wildly original story, a jumbled up puzzle of clues, and one of the best endings I've ever seen. The highlight: The Spanish rendition of "Crying" by Roy Orbison. 

8 | 12 Angry Men (1957) Directed by: Sidney Lumet

12 Angry Men may just be one of the most important movies ever made. The first time I ever saw this film, I was blown away by how flawed the jury system in America is (keep in mind, I was only in the 10th grade). The drama that unfolded between all of the jury members was astounding, especially when certain social prejudices were revealed. I just remember my jaw hitting the ground every time Henry Fonda refuted certain pieces of evidence... evidence that would otherwise be used as the nail in the coffin for the suspect. The best line: "No jury should declare a man guilty, unless it's sure." 


7 | The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) Directed by: Julian Schnabel


Seldom has there been a film that has moved me as much as The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. It's usage of first-person cinematography and extremely effective, poetic dialogue made the movie a masterpiece. I just remember sitting there, feeling as paralysed as the main character. I was so submersed in his story that when the ending came... I just lost it. I cried for about 15 minutes. In my opinion, no other movie from 2007 comes close to the league of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly. 


6 | Sunset Boulevard (1950) Directed by: Billy Wilder

"I am big, it's the picture's that got small!" Sunset Boulevard is arguably the greatest movie of all time. It's a flawless film. Absolutely flawless. When it comes to 'drama,' there are no other women as dramatic or as creepy as Norma Desmond, played perfectly by Gloria Swanson. To me, it is the greatest performance in the history of cinema. That's right, it's my all time favourite. I remember feeling torn between liking and hating Norma. I felt sorry for her, being abandoned by the world of cinema since the introduction of the talkies... but she was also an obsessive and self-loving bitch. Her immortal line 'Alright Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up," always gives me chills. 


5 | American Beauty (1999) Directed by Sam Mendes

American Beauty is one of the first films that made me fall in love with the world of cinema. The 'normal' family, neighbours, and friends are anything but normal... and this film was the opposite of what I expected. There is lots to talk about, so I'll narrow it down. The affairs and midlife crises of Kevin Spacey and Annette Bening were hilarious, believable, and always entertaining. My favourite story was the daughter's relationship with the strange neighbour, "Sometimes there's so much beauty in the world, I feel like I can't take it." I loved how the over-confident best-friend is more self-conscious than anyone, and that the extremely conservative neighbour had to repress himself his whole life. It's just one big, perfect-mess of drama. 


4 | Farewell My Concubine (1993) Directed by Kaige Chen

Leslie Cheung moved me to tears.
Farewell My Concubine is my favourite Chinese movie of all time, and my personal favourite drama. It spans 5 decades of Chinese history, and follows one of the most unusual and interesting characters in cinematic history. It's one of those stories where it's hard to like any of the characters, yet you're so invested in their lives. It is stunning and tender, shocking and heartbreaking, and always riveting. Leslie Cheung gives one of the all time greatest performances in this film. He plays an actor that makes a living from playing a female opera singer... but he's also in love with his male co-star and best friend.


3 | A Separation (2011) Directed by Asghar Farhadi

A Separation is one of those films that BEGS to be discussed immediately after the credits roll. It's another 'flawless' film in my opinion, and one of the most intelligent and interesting ever created. We instantly delve into a really f*cked up situation, where it's easy to feel sorry for everyone and hard to pin the blame on anyone. I just remember after seeing this film, my family and I just sat in the lounge room discussing it for about an hour. It had a profound effect on me, and I think it'll become a 'classic' in the near future. 



2 | The Shawshank Redemption (1994) Directed by Frank Darabont

The Shawshank Redemption was my first taste of a perfect film. It raised the bar for me, setting a new tone for anything I saw after it. The characters, the dialogue, the cinematography, the score by Thomas Newman, the story, that escape scene... wow. Put simply... it's one of the most inspiring, poetic films I've ever seen. I couldn't pick a highlight from the film, because to me, the whole thing is just one big highlight.


1 | Ikiru (1952) Directed by Akira Kurosawa

I started watching this film having no idea what to expect, and left with a smile and a tear. Ikiru is undoubtedly one of the greatest movies of all time, for its story is enough to inspire someone to do something with their life. Takashi Shimura's performance is nothing short of perfection. It's one of the greatest performances of all time. Never has there been a film that made me appreciate life so much... there are so many wonderful lessons throughout this film. It's a must-see for any film fanatic. 


If you liked this list, check out my list for
Top 10 Greatest Romance Movies

Sunday 25 August 2013

Lore (2012) - ★★★★★

Director: Cate Shortland
Writers: Cate Shortland, Robin Mukherjee (Screenplay), Rachel Seiffert (Novel)
Stars: Saskia Rosendahl, Kai-Peter Malina, Nele Trebs, Andre Frid, Mika Seidel, Ursina Ladi, Hans-Jochen Wagner

There's something about Lore that will stick in my mind forever. It's haunting, poignant, powerful, realistic, and very touching. I was in a sort of trans whilst watching this film. I felt so submersed into the story and the environment, it was like I was on the journey with the characters. The performances are flawless, the music is haunting and beautiful, the story maintains intrigue and urgency, and the cinematography reminded me of the always stunning films by Terrence Malick. I'm not sure what else to say, except that so far it is my favourite foreign language film of 2012.

Saturday 24 August 2013

Elysium (2013) - ★★

Director: Neill Blomkamp
Writer: Neill Blomkamp
Stars: Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga, Wagner Moura, Diego Luna, William Fichtner, Emma Tremblay

Elysium is easily one of the most boring sci-fi / action movies I've ever seen. It just moves at a glacial pace, and I've seen the same formula done better... many times. The performances are nothing remarkable... in fact, Jodie Foster couldn't keep her accent from dabbling between American and English. In some ways, you can draw parallels between the story in Elysium, and actual asylum seekers today. That's the most genius thing about this film, and probably the purpose of the story. However, I was ready to leave the cinema after about 45 minutes. The sounds, the sights... everything was irritating to the senses. Not once did I feel suspense, or even a remote sense of urgency. There's just nothing noteworthy about this film. Not even the special effects.

Thursday 22 August 2013

City Lights (1931) - ★★★★★

Director: Charles "Charlie" Chaplin
Writer: Charlie Chaplin
Stars: Charlie Chaplin, Virginia Cherrill, Harry Myers, Florence Lee, Al Ernest Garcia, Hank Mann

City Lights is one of the most beautiful movies I've ever seen. Whenever I think about it, I just feel the most profound sense of joy. I laughed several times, and nearly cried my eyes out at the end of the film. I was always intrigued to see City Lights because many people called it Chaplin's greatest work. Now that's a huge statement to make, considering his classics like The Gold Rush (1925), The Circus (1928), Modern Times (1936) and my personal favourite, The Great Dictator (1940). Now that I've finally seen this film, I can honestly say that it deserves to be called his greatest work. It's simply a masterpiece... a silent film that will be enjoyed forever.

Wednesday 21 August 2013

Sideways (2004) - ★★★★

Director: Alexander Payne
Writer: Rex Pickett (Novel), Alexander Payne, Jim Taylor
Stars: Paul Giamatti, Thomas Haden Church, Virginia Madsen, Sandra Oh

If Sideways achieved anything, it's that it made me want to drink wine... and lots of it! I'm not a wine enthusiast. In fact, I can't stand wine! There's a lot to say when a movie can make you crave something you've disliked for years. Oh, and I found it to be a pretty fantastic film too. The dialogue is really witty and realistic, as are the performances. To be perfectly honest, I don't 'relate' to this movie at all. I'm not middle aged, I've never been divorced, I don't like wine, and I'm not a struggling novelist. BUT, Alexander Payne did a marvellous job at revealing the life of a man who has been, and is going through these problems. It's both really entertaining, and painfully irritating. I didn't 'love' this movie, but technically it's a really well made film. Most critics think it's a masterpiece... REALLY? I don't think so.

Tuesday 20 August 2013

The King's Speech (2010) - ★★★★½

Director: Tom Hooper
Writer: David Seidler (Screenplay)
Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Guy Pearce, Michael Gambon, Jennifer Ehle, Timothy Spall

The King's Speech is a film that had me grinning like an idiot the whole way through. I just loved this movie. LOVED IT! There are many reasons why. First of all, I think the performances are spectacular. Colin Firth sealed himself as one of the all time greatest actors with his royal performance, and Geoffrey Rush added another flawless performance to his already flawless resume. It concerns one of the most interesting times in British history (IMO), which was accompanied by a masterful choice in music and really effective cinematography. If it weren't for the tiny amount of 'schmaltz' or 'cheese' injected into the storyline, I'd call it a perfect film.

The Lives of Others (2006) - ★★★★★

Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Writer: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck
Stars: Ulrich Muhe, Sebastian Koch, Martina Gedeck, Ulrich Tukur, Thomas Thieme, Hans-Uwe Bauer

The Lives of Others is one of the most interesting films I've ever seen. Not so much because of the story, but because of the character Ulrich Muhe plays. Muhe's performance is remarkable, no, it's masterful. The 'Sonata for a Good Man' will always remind me of him. I was riveted by this film. It was sometimes suspenseful, sometimes very touching, and always brilliant. 2006 was a good year for foreign films, and this film would be my second favourite of the year. My favourite being Pan's Labyrinth. I didn't know what to expect when I bought The Lives of Others, but after watching it, I can safely say that it's a pure masterpiece of cinema.

Sunday 18 August 2013

Kramer vs. Kramer (1979) - ★★★★

Director: Robert Benton
Writers: Avery Corman (Novel), Robert Benton (screenplay)
Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep, Justin Henry, Jane Alexander, Howard Duff, George Coe, JoBeth Williams

Kramer vs. Kramer is one of those movies that makes your brain spin, trying to decide who is right, who is wrong, and what's the best possible outcome. It gives us the complicated story of a broken family, never picking one side over the other. It's not a funny, entertaining film at all. This movie is the very definition of a drama. The feelings of the characters and their circumstances are presented beautifully, and performed masterfully by Dustin Hoffman, Meryl Streep and Justin Henry. This is a movie that is sure to cause conflict among viewers. Heated debates and discussions are sure to follow after watching this movie, because in the end, everyone has their own opinion on who deserved custody of the child. That's what makes this such a great movie.

The Cove (2009) - ★★★★½

Director: Louie Psihoyos
Writer: Mark Monroe

The Cove won the Best Documentary Oscar at the 2009 Academy Awards, and it was a very well deserved win. It takes a special kind of film to evoke so much emotion out of me. By the end of the film, I was left speechless. There was so much that I wanted to say, but I couldn't, because I found it too hard to say anything without crying profusely. It's a very informative look at the cruelty towards dolphins, whether it be from captivity in aquariums, amusement parks, or the killing of them for meat. The primary focus of this film is to show the world the horrific slaughter of dolphins at a cove in Taijii, Japan. Not only do we see their suffering, but we hear their suffering too. It's one of the most powerful scenes in cinematic history, and a scene that moved me to tears.

The Ten Commandments (1956) - ★★

Director: Cecil B. Demille
Writers: Twas a large collaboration
Stars: Charlton Heston, Yul Brynner, Anne Baxter, Edward G. Robinson, Yvonne De Carlo, Debra Paget, John Derek, Cedric Hardwicke, Nina Foch, Martha Scott, Judith Anderson, Vincent Price

I think critics forgive a lot of faults when it comes to epic movies. In particular, Cecil B. Demille epics. The Ten Commandments is a movie so grand in scale that people don't sweat the little stuff, and focus on the amazing special effects and cinematography. As for me, I found there were too many unforgivable problems to call this a good movie. The acting was atrocious by almost the entire cast, and the dialogue was highly laughable (for it was a terrible mixture of Hollywood cheese and Bible-esque speech). The story itself is highly interesting, but it drags on so long in this movie that I lost almost all interest in the film. The only thing that kept me going was the hope for an epic 'plagues of Egypt' sequence.

Saturday 17 August 2013

Blood of the Beasts (1949)

Director: Georges Franju
Writer: Georges Franju

Blood of the Beasts is an extremely confronting documentary that simply shows us the methods that French slaughterhouses used to kill animals in the late 1940s. Georges Franju shows us the implements they used to kill the animals, including an axe, a large knife, a gun, and a long reed. We then see exactly how they used them... It is these images that have the power to drastically change a persons outlook on the meat industry and animal cruelty.

Tuesday 13 August 2013

Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie (2012) - ★★★

Directors: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim
Writers: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim
Stars: Tim Heidecker, Eric Wareheim, Twink Caplan, John C. Reilly, Zach Galifianakis, Will Ferrell, Will Forte, Ray Wise

Tim and Eric's Billion Dollar Movie was a huge disappointment. My favourite comedy TV show happens to be Tim and Eric's Awesome Show: Great Job! In their show, they make intelligent, hilarious, and ultimately disturbing commentaries on the stupid shit mankind does (whether it is inventing stupid products, or stupid TV shows). The actual story of the film is its biggest letdown. It doesn't give them many opportunities to flex their crazy, off-coloured humour. They have to follow a coherent storyline that makes a little bit of sense, which throws their usual methods out of whack. While I still enjoyed this movie immensely, I'd call it the longest, unfunniest episode of Tim and Eric I've ever seen. It's funny, but I miss the non-stop laughs they used to give me.

Monday 12 August 2013

Evil Dead (2013) - ★★★½

Director: Fede Alvarez
Writers: Fede Alvarez, Rodo Sayagues (Screenplay), Sam Raimi (Original Screenplay)
Stars: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas, Elizabeth Blackmore

Evil Dead is the scariest movie I've seen all year (and yes, I've seen The Conjuring). It had me in a constant state of fear for the last 45 minutes, and few films have ever done that to me. It's your average Cabin in the Woods plot/story, done more gruesomely and effectively than ever before. The demonic possessions were almost as scary as that of The Exorcist (1973), and the acting was pretty good for the most part. There's no way I could form an emotional attachment to a movie such as this. All I know is that I never want to see it again... partly because it scares the crap out of me, and partly because it will never be as exciting as the first time I saw it. I don't know about you, but my faith in the horror genre has officially been restored in 2013!

Thursday 8 August 2013

A Serbian Film (2010) - ★

Director: Srdjan Spasojevic
Writers: Aleksandar Radivojevic, Srdjan Spasojevic
Stars: Srdjan Todorovic, Sergej Trifunovic, Jelena Gavrilovic, Slobadan Bestic, Katarina Zutic, Luka Mijatovic

A Serbian Film would have to be one of the most overblown movies ever talked about. Review after review, people and critics were saying that this was the most disgusting, horrific, bloodiest movies ever made. While it is disgusting and graphic, I found the THOUGHT of the movie more disturbing than the actual movie itself. It came across just plain ridiculous to me, which made it very hard to find anything truly affective. It deals with pedophilia, necrophilia, incest, torture, and murder. I'm one of those people who gets disturbed by movies easily. Hostel (2005), 120 Days of Sodom (1975), and even Guinea Pig (1985) were more shocking and disturbing to me than A Serbian Film. So many people are calling this the ultimate extreme shock-horror film of all time... but to me it was a grossed-out pile of "meh."

Tuesday 6 August 2013

House of Sand and Fog (2003) - ★★★½

Director: Vadim Perelman
Writers: Andre Dubus III (Novel), Vadim Perelman, Shawn Lawrence Otto
Stars: Jennifer Connelly, Ben Kingsley, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Ron Eldard, Frances Fisher, Jonathan Ahdout, Kim Dickens

House of Sand and Fog is a very good movie. The story is interesting, and the performances are really touching. It's frustrating, because it's one of those films that make you watch an impossible situation unfurl into a catastrophe. I didn't particularly find it effective, or 'great' in a sense. I'm kind of on the fence with this one, because I know that it's a good movie, but it didn't really get to me. At times I feel a bit 'eh' when I think of this film, but then I remember Ben Kingsley and Shohreh Aghdashloo's performance, which instantly raises it in my esteem.

Monday 5 August 2013

A Place in the Sun (1951) - ★★★½

Director: George Stevens
Writers: Theodore Dreiser (Novel), Michael Wilson, Harry Brown
Stars: Montgomery Clift, Shelley Winters, Elizabeth Taylor, Anne Revere, Raymond Burr

A Place in the Sun is a beautiful film, and its story is chock-full of controversial topics. Sex before marriage, abortion and murder are highlighted here, yet somehow the story was only lukewarm to me. I didn't see any fiery moments of anger or passion, it was all very methodical. Even though it has such interesting subjects to talk about, nothing really piqued my excitement or curiosity. The performances were really good, but not masterful. The set production and clothing was fantastic, but not breathtaking. The music by Franz Waxman is gorgeous, but not very memorable. It's definitely an above average film, but to me it wasn't 'great.'

Longhorns (2011) - ★½

Director: David Lewis
Writer: David Lewis
Stars: Jacob Newton, Derek Villaneuva, Dylan Vox, Kevin Held, Stephen Matzke, Bonnie Marion, Katrina Sherwood

I'm becoming quite the LGBTI film-buff. My aim is to watch as many films in the genre as possible, and I heard good things about Longhorns. It's not a good movie, but it's kinda cute. It's clearly low-budget and amateur, and the story isn't anything special either. I guess what makes it interesting is the performances by Jacob Newton and Derek Villaneuva. The sunshiny, cutesy, Southern charm of Newton managed to make me enjoy the film, which is only 75 minutes long. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who likes good cinema and a high level of decency. There are a total of 5 full frontal naked men in this movie. No, it's not a porno. It's not even soft-core. It's just a 'bad' movie that emits happiness.

Sunday 4 August 2013

The Fall of the Roman Empire (1964) - ★★★★

Director: Anthony Mann
Writers: Ben Barzman, Basilio Franchina, Philip Yordan (Screenplay)
Stars: Stephen Boyd, Sophia Loren, Christopher Plummer, Alec Guinness, James Mason, Anthony Quayle, Omar Sharif

The Fall of the Roman Empire (FRE) is probably the most visually stunning film I've ever seen. Life of Pi has the most brilliant special effects I've ever seen, but FRE takes the prize for greatest set production... by far! Scene after scene, gasp after gasp, the grand vision of Rome, the costumes... everything had me mesmerised. The story is epicly amazing, which is a given considering ancient Rome is arguably the most interesting period in history. I loved the performances (for the most part), I adored the score, but above all I adored the way they rebuilt ancient Rome. It's like it never left! The pacing is a bit too slow, and Stephen Boyd's performance was pretty annoying, but I'm still in awe of how epic this movie is.

Saturday 3 August 2013

Once Upon a Time in the West (1968) - ★★★★

Director: Sergio Leone
Writers: Sergio Leone, Sergio Donati (Screenplay), Dario Argento, Bernardo Bertolucci, Mickey Knox
Stars: Henry Fonda, Charles Bronson, Jason Robards, Claudia Cardinale, Gabriele Ferzetti

It took me a while to warm up to this film, but in the end I really liked Once Upon a Time in the West. It has a rating of 8.7/10 on the International Movie Data Base (IMDB), making it one of the highest rated movies of all time. I wouldn't give it that title, not until I at least watch it again. The first hour of the film was flat to me. My energy levels depleted slowly but surely until I actually turned off the movie (a sin against cinema, I know). I decided that I should finish it today. Let's just say that the last hour and a half slowly built up this film in my esteem, until it reached a stunning climax that had my excitement and film fanaticism going wild. There were a couple of other big problems I had with it, but the ending was so masterful that it almost redeemed any fault I found with the movie.

Friday 2 August 2013

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) - ★★★★★

Director: Julian Schnabel
Writers: Ronald Harwood (Screenplay), Jean-Dominique Bauby (Book)
Stars: Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Marie-Josee Croze, Anna Consigny, Max Von Sydow, Niels Arestrup

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is one of the most sensational movies of all time. This is a film that has the power to change a person's life. Ikiru (To Live) by Akira Kurosawa is the only other film that has had such an effect on me, where it's actually made me re-evaluate what I'm doing with my life. It's one of the most touching stories I've ever seen, and in my opinion it could not have been made better. It delved deep into my heart and took me an a powerful emotional journey, which had many laughs and many tears. Not only is this one of my favorite movies, it's also one of the greatest movies of all time. I'd give this the Best Picture Oscar for 2007, even over There Will Be Blood, No Country for Old Men, and Atonement.